Rockford's Guler Appliance Co. owned, operated by three generations

Thursday

Feb 27, 2014 at 8:00 AM

By Antionette ThomasRockford Register Star

Steel was in short supply not long after Andrew Guler partnered with a relative to start an appliance store in Rockford. America was pulled into World War II, and the government rationed just about everything from sugar and butter to gas, rubber and steel.

Steel was used to make small and large appliances at that time. Many businesses shifted from selling to repairing appliances. The Gulers improvised.

Andrew loaded an appliance onto the bed of a pick-up truck and then went door-to-door showcasing the product to rural residents, some of whom were part of his business network during his earlier days as a liquid-bottled gas salesman. Customers placed pre-orders, and the nascent business plowed forward, marking more than 75 years in the business.

Today, that teamwork, determination and work ethic still can be found in Guler Appliance Co. Three generations of Gulers have owned and operated the family business since 1936. Members from two generations lead the store: Andrew's son Darwin Guler serves as CEO. Darwin Guler's nephew Dale Johnson is vice president, and his niece Dawn Stock is secretary/treasurer.

Viability into three generations is no small achievement. The Family Firm Institute estimates 12 percent of family businesses transition to the third generation, according to CNN Money.

"My father left a legacy," said CEO Darwin Guler, whose mother and brother once worked for the company. "Our family is close-knit. We work together, and we have employees we consider good friends, partners (to our success)."

Johnson describes the longevity of family involvement this way: "Just being able to get along with each other, being honest with each other and doing the best job we can to help each other and our customer."

Guler Appliance sells, installs and repairs major household appliances, including refrigerators, built-in ranges and washers. The showroom rivals that of any competitor featuring product lines by leading brand names such as Wolf, Sub-Zero, Viking, Bosch and Monogram.

It is northern Illinois' largest and oldest GE service dealer.

Guler draws customers from Rockford and its neighboring communities. But business also comes from Stephenson, Boone, McHenry and Ogle counties and occasionally Galena and Lake Geneva, Wis. They serve residential and commercial clients.

Service - repairs and maintenance of appliances - is the core segment of the business. It delivers products at no charge and performs 99 percent of the installations. Its four-member service personnel are manufacturer-trained and have more than 20 years of experience working on the product lines. This level and quality of service is one of the reasons Guler has survived during the decades.

"Service people are not just repairing things. They're answering questions properly with the right answers and taking care of concerns," Guler said. "Relationships are important to us. I'm here. My family is here, and you're not dealing with someone who may or may not be here tomorrow, whether it's on the floor or in the office."

Guler Appliance is, by any definition, a Rockford mainstay and part of the bedrock of the city's business community. When big-box outlets popped up and other stores relocated or expanded along the East State Street and Perryville Road corridors, Guler stayed anchored to its single location on the southeast side in a 100-year-old building.

"Our greatest efficiency today is what we own, versus renting, leasing or having a mortgage. We're proud of our building here," Guler said. "This is the heart of and center of (the) city logistically now. We're very convenient to get to by road and public transportation."

Johnson describes the store as one of the city's best-kept secrets, boasting a showroom that awes even sales representatives. But the company's ethos makes the biggest impression: "Take care of the business and customers, and they will take care of you."

Customers reward Guler Appliance by returning to purchase products from the hometown merchant.

"They feel we have the expertise in the field and keep coming back," Johnson said. "We are competitive people. We are more competitive because we've been here for so long."

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